Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Abednego is a name of Babylonian origin, found in the biblical Book of Daniel. The name is derived from the Akkadian phrase Abad-Nēgū, meaning "servant of Nēgū" or "servant of light." In Hebrew, the name is often transliterated as אֲבֵד נְגוֹ (Aved N'go). In the Bible, Abednego is one of the three Hebrew men—along with Shadrach and Meshach—who were thrown into a fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar for refusing to worship a golden idol. The three men miraculously survived the ordeal, with some interpretations suggesting a fourth figure, often identified as an angel or a pre-incarnate Christ, was present in the fire with them. The story of Abednego is significant in both Jewish and Christian traditions, symbolizing faith, divine protection, and resistance to idolatry. The name has also been translated into other languages, such as Abdenago in Spanish and Abdenego in Italian.